Just Let Me Love You (Judge Me Not #3)(23)

There are no hair ties going in my hair tonight, but Chase does insist on brushing out my chestnut mane. Careful, so carefully, his brush strokes feel divine. Tonight, Chase touches me like I might break.

“I can’t believe you really want to become my wife,” he whispers, leaning into me, his chest pressing to my back.

I slowly turn to face him, and lower his hand with the brush to his side.

“I want to marry you, Chase. More than you can imagine. In fact, there’s nothing more I’d rather do.”

He smiles and touches my face. With everything I am feeling in this moment, I begin to slowly recite lines I memorized long ago, lines I promised myself I’d know by heart for the day I wedded the love of my life.

And today is that day.

“I, Kay Stanton,” I softly murmur, “…take you, Chase Gartner, to be my lawful wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse…”

Chase picks up where I leave off. “… For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish…”

Together we say, “From this day forward, until death do us part.”

Two hours later, we are reciting the exact same vows once more.

Only this time it’s for real.

Chase and I have opted for a ceremony at a chapel in one of the nicer Vegas hotels. We even stopped by a twenty-four hour jewelry store in the arcade shops beforehand so we could purchase two simple gold bands.

And now we are here, doing this, getting married in a quaint little wedding chapel. We are surrounded by mountains of flowers left over from a previous ceremony. It’s so pretty in here. Amethyst-toned stained glass windows sparkle and reflect the glow of all the lit candles in the small room. And though there are few people in the pews—just the two hotel employees bearing witness—this feels right.

Chase and I have been on our own for a long time now.

Sure, we’re healing old wounds and reconnecting with family, but when you get right down to it, Chase and I only really have one another to rely on.

So, yes, we’ll have a church wedding when we return home, but that one will be for everyone else.

This one—today, now—this one is for us.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the officiant announces.

And then it’s done.

“We’re married,” I say to Chase.

“Yes, we’re married, sweet girl,” he whispers as his lips brush over mine.

We hear, “You may kiss the bride,” and we kiss…and kiss…and kiss.

After the ceremony, we stop by the hotel casino to celebrate. We play some slots, and I win a little money, which is helpful since we just blew a bunch on the rings and ceremony.

On the way home, Chase stops by an all-night liquor store and buys a bottle of good champagne. And back at the house, the fates smile down on us, allowing us to find a single wedge of brie in the refrigerator.

“It’s a sign,” I say to Chase.

He slips the package of soft cheese from my grasp and places it on the counter. “I think you may be right,” he says.

And then, when he begins to search the cabinets for something to spread the brie on, he distractedly adds, “Though I wonder what kind of sign it could be. A sign that the fates sensed we were hungry? A sign my mom likes the same cheese as us?”

He’s totally messing with me, so I smack his arm. “It’s a sign tonight was meant to be, silly man.”

“I know,” he laughs.

In a much more serious tone, I add, “We did the right thing by getting married tonight, Chase.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he replies.

Finding a package of crackers, at last, he sets them aside.

Turning fully to me, he tells me, “This is one of the best days of my life.”

My eyes tear up as I reply, “Me, too.”

And then, out of curiosity, I ask, “What are the others?”

“Best days of my life?”

“Yes.”

Touching my cheek, he says, “I could list them, but let’s just say every single one involves you, Kay.”

“Chase…”

Before things turn too emotional in the middle of the kitchen, Chase grabs the crackers, cheese, and champagne and says, “How about we go upstairs and make this one of the best nights of our lives, my lovely wife?”

His blues dance mischievously, and I know we won’t be eating brie spread on crackers—nor drinking champagne—for very long.

I sweep my hand out in front of me and say, “Lead the way, dear husband.”





Chase



Kay and I make our first decision as man and wife the next morning. After sleeping in—and making love for the umpteenth time—we decide to keep our marriage a secret, for now. After we tuck our rings in our suitcases, we shower and get ready for the day ahead.

When we finally venture downstairs, we find my mother in the kitchen, where she eyes us curiously.

“Hmm,” she says after a beat. “You two sure were sleepyheads. It’s nearly noon.”

I roll my eyes and grab a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator. “Yep, we were tired,” I mutter.

Mom’s not done yet, though. She rests her hip against the granite-top island in the center of the room, and says, “I imagine so, seeing you two were out so late last night.”